@OP: I just started playing AC4. And let me tell you, I like your style ! I use to do the same occasionally, but it was just chance that I turned off all the HUD (well, I have ISS turned on).. I turn off the in RPGs specifically. Like Fallout 3/NV or The Last of Us, it really adds a new layer of gameplay: immersion.

@: everyone who have doubts about the subjekt discussed in this thread: take this as a challenge. Sit down one evening with black flag without any of the HUD turned on and see how far you get without it. You might thank us for it later!

I wasn't actually planning on getting this game cos I felt that it gets too repetetive after playing the others. But u made some great points, and I think that might be enough for the game to become interesting for me. I think I'll have a go at it

Tried it. Was great for opening part. Got to Havana, couldn't find the guy to carry on storyline after a bit and back on the UI went.

I'm switching back and forth for this very reason. Usually playing without the hud is working great for me and it's awesome but every now and then I can't find something I need so I'll turn it back on until I'm reoriented. Aftrerward I'll turn it off again. I've actually had to turn it back on quite a few imes, but it's nice to turn it off when I'm done finding what I need. I'm glad they gave us the option.

Tried it. Was great for opening part. Got to Havana, couldn't find the guy to carry on storyline after a bit and back on the UI went.

Originally Posted by GrandWazoo

I'm switching back and forth for this very reason. Usually playing without the hud is working great for me and it's awesome but every now and then I can't find something I need so I'll turn it back on until I'm reoriented. Afterward I'll turn it off again. I've actually had to turn it back on quite a few imes, but it's nice to turn it off when I'm done finding what I need. I'm glad they gave us the option.

What I do when I cant find the next quest, is since I keep SSI turned on, I just open the main map and place a marker on the main quest, then the only HUD element on the screen is the yellow exclamation point showing you the direction to go!
That way you dont have to keep switching the HUD on and off, you just open the map instead.
I'm glad you gave this method of playing a shot.
It's funny, after making this thread I noticed in the title screen theres tips and hints that scroll the bottom, and one of them says,
"if you want a more immersive experience, try turing off the HUD"

What I do when I cant find the next quest, is since I keep SSI turned on, I just open the main map and place a marker on the main quest, then the only HUD element on the screen is the yellow exclamation point showing you the direction to go!
That way you dont have to keep switching the HUD on and off, you just open the map instead.

Cool, I'll try using the map markers and see if I can keep the hud off that much longer. And as for the hints and tips, I had spotted that before but was never really interested to try it until I read you post, you made it sound fun.

Cool, I'll try using the map markers and see if I can keep the hud off that much longer. And as for the hints and tips, I had spotted that before but was never really interested to try it until I read you post, you made it sound fun.

It is fun!
I really think this is how Ubisoft intended the game to be played, but had to default to a HUD because games need to be accessible these days unfortunately.
Yeah, finding the quest after just exploring and messing around for hours can be confusing without the HUD, but thats the main reason for leaving the SSI on, so you can just highlight the main quest on the main map, and only have that yellow dot showing the way.
I hope more people give this way of playing a shot before dismissing it.
I love it so much, that I just had to create this detailed thread explaining why I love it.
A great way to freshin up a somewhat stale IP.

I suck really bad though. I get the mission to infiltrate the fort to go get your papers back and the sugar. Optional is to avoid combat. I honestly have no idea how you do some of these missions without it.

meh. i use the HUD. Ive never been invested in any of the story telling in Assassins Creed, so i really dont care about immersion. I did however play a bunch of Fallout: New Vegas on the PC with no HUD and the survivor mode or whatever it was called. That was awesome.

And most of the time, i just run around sinking ships, getting their loot, and when i have hunters showing up 2 at a time, i board something and lower my wanted level. much faster than boarding everything for full loot.

And IMO, the swordfighting, melee combat in this game, is still horrible. First thing i did was upgrade all my ammo pouches and pistol holsters, and my pistols, because ever since Revelations, the combat in this game has been rediculously broken. AC2 and Brotherhood, i could counter quite often, and i would survive most fights. But now, everytime i counter something, i have 4 other people stabbing at me, breaking my counter, and its just complete bull$#@!. so now when i board ships, i kill them with the swivel guns, and then shoot people in the head whenever i can. i try not even leaving the ship unless i have to kill scouts.

Finally got my copy of ACIV on saturday and cant stop playing it... like someone else said though.. im a clean up person... as soon as i enter an area... i completely clear it of all collectibles and chests, ani-frags, shanties etc... then i hit the open sea and plunder the $#@! out of every ship i come across... man pirates $#@!ing rule!

(i only just got it because i was waiting on this: Also...i now have every Collectors Edition AC game released in the US! )

I think I'm going to play the DLC w/ HUD off and see how it goes. I have had two Trophies locked out on me. I believe it was because of a glitch that I believe occured during the install of the patch during PS4 launch weekend. It gave me the option to play offline and download the patch. I did, then after it was downloaded, it prompted to install patch. I accepted. I kept playing and that was around the same time I would have hit the 50K Reales and performed my first Kill the guard ringing the bell (not that I was going for these in particular.) Well after later exiting the game, and then launching it the next time to play it prompted for the patch to be installed (again.)

So since that time when trying to clear out trophies I attempted 'Silence Fool' dozens of times (and I know how to do it) and it wouldn't unlock. Also, I had earned probably well over 1M Reales in the game, and cleared every area except one of every thing that can be done. And the 'Business and Pleasure' - earn 50,000 Reales wasn't unlocking.

No help from Ubi on this, so I decided to give another play through a try. Thankfully they did provide 3 slots for different play throughs. I managed to unlock Silence Fool after I made it to Havana, on the first try. Now it's been playing through the story to get to a point where I can go really start earning money (just now getting back to that point.)

Anyway, during this 2nd game play I've turned the HUD off for much of it, just to experience it. Yeah, it's a bit more interesting, but also a lot slower, which for the DLC could be a very good thing.

I love both AC4 and Farcry3 but they both have one annoying thing: Maps/minimaps show the location of everything. Every chest and other stuff can be found too easily. It takes away the joy of searching and finding them. You just have to walk straigh to the marker on your minimap. I'll have to try it without HUD.

I love it when developers give you the ability to fully toggle the UI elements.
Thief is going to do this as well but to an even further extent.
You will be able to toggle anything that ever comes up on screen during gameplay.
Things like enemies highlighting when targeted, the glint of an object that you can interact with, any QTE's or on screen prompts,
and many other things that I can't recall at the moment, but you get the idea. Anything that can pop up on screen can be toggled.
This makes me so much more excited for this game. I plan on putting it on Hard and turning EVERYTHING off. Gonna go in blind.
I'm going to figure everything out as I go, and see if the game is catered to this style of gameplay, or if will I just get frustrated and be forced to turn on certain things to progress?

Thats why I like AC:4 with no HUD so much, because there's mechanics that Ubisoft built in to cater to playing without the HUD.
When you sync from a viewpoint and the HUD is turned off, every icon for every item or place of interest shows up on screen, so you can travel in that direction and once you've made it to the general vicinity, you scout around listening for that glistening chime sound that everything makes when a certain distance from them.
Why else would those icons show up from the viewpoints and why would chests and things make a sound when close to them? There's no need for them when using the map,
they are tools for you to find every object and place of interest without the HUD. Yes it takes alot longer, but it's all a matter of preference in playstyle and mindset when playing.

Honestly, if it wasn't for the ability to turn off the HUD, then I don't know if I could get so into another AC game. The awesome pirate theme and ship battles help alot too!

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